Shape of Water takes best picture Oscar

Host Jimmy Kimmel didn't waste time referring to last year's envelope incident at the Oscars.

Allison Williams, best supporting actress nominee for 'Get Out', has arrived for the Oscars.

The Oscars will recognise the campaign against sexual harassment as well as the best in movies.

Guillermo del Toro has been awarded the best director Oscar for The Shape of Water.

Fantastical romance The Shape of Water has won best picture, the film industry's most prestigious honour, at Sunday's Oscar ceremony.

The Fox Searchlight movie's Mexican filmmaker, Guillermo del Toro, took home the best director Oscar, dashing the hopes of a rare win by a woman or a black filmmaker.

The movie about a mute cleaning woman who falls in love with a strange river creature had gone into the ceremony with a leading 13 nominations, and won a total of four Academy Awards.

As expected, Britain's Gary Oldman was named best actor for playing World War II leader Winston Churchill in Warner Bros' Darkest Hour, while Frances McDormand's woman in a fury was a popular best actress winner for Fox Searchlight's dark comedy Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Australian actress Margot Robbie was nominated for best actress but missed out to McDormand.

The 27-year-old Queenslander also produced the film, which picked up nominations for supporting actress Allison Janney and editor Tatiana Riegel.

Sam Rockwell, and Janney took home their first Oscars for their supporting roles Three Billboards and I, Tonya, respectively.

Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel tackled Hollywood's sexual misconduct scandal with jokes on a night heavy with nods to activism on issues ranging from LGBT issues and school shootings to sexism and racism.

Gay romance Call Me by Your Name won best adapted screenplay and racial satire Get Out won best original screenplay.

A Fantastic Woman, Chile's groundbreaking story about a transgender woman, played by transgender actress Daniela Vega, won best foreign language film, and Mexican-inspired Coco was named best animated feature.